Tanjiro woke with a dull ache spreading through his body.
The first thing he saw was the familiar sight of the forest floor, and the second was the even more familiar scene of demon slayers scattered around him like fallen bodies. Some groaned softly. Some didn't move at all.
He pushed himself upright, letting out a slow breath.
…Again.
This had become routine over the past few days.
It had already been several days since he began Akira's training, yet Tanjiro hadn't passed the test even once. Not him, and not anyone else either. In fact, the number of demon slayers attempting the trial only continued to grow. At this point, there were nearly fifty of them.
And yet, despite the numbers, nothing changed.
More people only meant more traps being triggered. More chaos. More bodies on the ground.
Lu-chan remained completely unstoppable.
No matter how many times they tried.
No matter what tactics they used.
No matter how desperately they struggled.
They couldn't defeat it.
And yet… no one quit.
Even after countless failures. Even after the pain.
They all stayed for one reason.
The reason that kept them all going was.
Before Tanjiro could finish the thought, a sharp cry echoed from above.
"KAA! KAA! IT'S LUNCHTIME! IT'S LUNCHTIME!"
Tanjiro looked up to see Raven circling in the sky. Rose was nowhere to be seen for once.
But Raven alone was enough. The moment his voice reached them, the reaction was immediate.
Every demon slayer who heard that voice jolted awake with sudden enthusiasm, as if salvation itself had descended from the sky.
Soon after, three hulking figures emerged into view. The Yoriichi-type Null Units, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, pushed carts piled high with all kinds of food. The sight alone was enough to make eyes water.
The demon slayers gathered around in an instant, grabbing plates and bowls as they were distributed. Some ate with shaking hands, others with tears streaming down their faces, voices trembling as they muttered.
"This is so good…"
"I'm alive… I'm really alive…"
"I thought I was done for…But I am really glad…really glad to be alive."
Yes. That was the real reason they stayed.
The food.
These meals weren't made by Akira himself, but by the Type Null Units using his recipes. Akira had made a few upgrades so they could prepare simple dishes on their own. Since the units were built with materials limited to the Taishō era, they couldn't match the sophistication of his other creations, but even so, the food they produced was more than enough to keep everyone here.
Zenitsu shoveled food into his mouth with teary eyes. "This is so good… I don't mind staying here for a while longer…"
Tanjiro nodded while eating, then spoke up. "But Akira-san said he'll throw us a huge banquet with even tastier food if we pass this training, right?"
Zenitsu froze for a moment, then clenched his chopsticks with renewed determination. "Yeah! We already missed the one at the Butterfly Mansion. We can't miss this one, too! Alright, I'll eat more and fight even harder!"
In the end, Akira had found a surprisingly simple solution.
Good food.
And it worked far better than anyone had expected.
From a distance, atop a large tree near the end goal, Akira and Erika sat side by side on a thick branch, quietly watching the demon slayers eat below.
It was far enough that no one noticed them, but not far enough to escape Akira's gaze. His Mystic Eyes of Truth didn't grant exaggerated long-distance vision or dramatic zooming clarity, but this much was well within their range.
Erika broke the silence first, her eyes following the growing crowd. She wondered aloud. "Do you really think they can pass this test? More and more demon slayers kept arriving, yet none ever left. Even the Hashira were starting to grow irritated, you know".
Akira responded calmly. "If they have complaints, they can say it to my face."
Erika glanced at him sideways and asked, "You just want test subjects for your new drugs, don't you?"
Akira blinked.
"How did you know?"
"Why do you think they don't want to meet you?" she replied flatly.
"After what happened to Rengoku, they're all scared of you."
Akira frowned. "Nothing happened to him. He even came back the other day asking for more."
"That's exactly the problem," Erika said. "You need to fix that. He's clearly addicted."
"As long as he stops for a few days, he'll be fine," Akira replied. "I could make another medicine to counter it, but I wouldn't recommend it. It might cause more issues."
Erika sighed.
"And you wonder why all the Hashira avoid you."
"But I need test subjects," Akira said earnestly. "How else am I supposed to perfect them?"
Before Erika could respond.
"You've got a message! You've got a message!"
From above, Erika's Kasugai crow, Rose, descended gracefully, circling once before landing on Erika's outstretched hand.
Erika unrolled the small note tied to Rose's foot and glanced over it. "I think it's from Kagaya-san."
Akira leaned closer, reading it alongside her.
As soon as they finished, both of them sighed.
"I guess the fight is near," Erika said softly.
Akira nodded. "Yeah. They've already surrounded us. They're locking onto this place." He paused, then added calmly, "The only good thing is… they don't know we've noticed."
Erika exhaled in relief. "Good thing you placed all those demon sensors around the area."
She wasn't wrong. Akira had spread them across the region, much like what he'd done at the Swordsmith Village. Unlike ordinary alarms, they didn't trigger loud warnings or alert the surroundings. Instead, they sent subtle signals, quiet notifications that reached only him, allowing them to react before the demons realized they'd been detected.
Erika hesitated, then asked softly, "But the plan they came up with is…"
Akira clicked his tongue. "Stupid," he said bluntly. "I don't get why they're so set on a heroic sacrifice. Especially when they don't need to."
Selena's voice echoed telepathically.
"They want to atone for their sins".
Erika frowned. "What sins? They're all good people."
Selena replied evenly. "Good people are often the ones most aware of the sins they believe they've committed. Even when others don't see them as wrong."
Erika fell quiet, thinking.
Akira spoke again, more softly this time. "Tamayo is a demon. Before she broke free from Muzan's influence, she killed humans to survive… even her own family. It may have been beyond her control, but she still wants to atone."
He continued, his gaze drifting toward the distant horizon. "As for Kagaya… he probably believes his death is inevitable. Or maybe he carries guilt for every demon slayer who's died under his command. Either way, this is their way of making peace with themselves."
Erika lowered her eyes. After a long moment, she whispered, "I don't think they need to die."
Akira turned to her, his voice steady. "Don't worry. I won't let them."
He straightened slightly. "I'll talk to them tonight. At the meeting."
Erika released a small, weary sigh, but she nodded. "Okay."
Rose ruffled her feathers and spoke again. "I'll take my leave."
Erika glanced down at the crow perched on her hand. "Where are you going?"
"To make sure that idiot doesn't do anything stupid," Rose replied matter-of-factly, before taking off into the sky.
Akira tilted his head. "Which idiot is she talking about?"
Erika smiled faintly. "Don't worry too much about it."
In the distance, barely visible between the trees, a certain crow with a faint purple tint could be seen picking a fight with a raccoon, for reasons known only to itself.
Erika let out a quiet sigh. "I wonder how long we'll stay here."
Akira looked at her. "Missing home?"
"A little," she admitted. "But not that much. Still… I think I'll miss this place when we leave."
"Well," Akira said lightly, "we do have to leave eventually. But if you miss it that much, we can come back. If you want."
Erika turned to him, surprised. "We can come back, Akira?"
Akira smiled.
"I don't know, can we, sister?"
Selena's voice answered calmly in his mind. "Sure, we can. Though I'm not sure we'll have that much free time. Maybe a vacation once in a while."
Erika nodded. "That's fine. But what do you mean, busy?"
"School", Selena replied. "Other missions, too. And unlike now, I can't stop time in our world just so you can visit for a few days. Time will move normally there, so you'll have to make room for it."
Erika frowned slightly. "Why can't you stop time there like you do now?"
"Stopping time for an entire world isn't easy", Selena said casually. "I don't have that much power yet. I can't freeze everything for trivial reasons. If you want to visit, it'll have to be during holidays or free time".
"I'm okay with that," Erika said after a moment. "As long as I can come back from time to time."
Akira's eyes lit with curiosity. "You said 'for now.' Does that mean you could do it in the future?"
"Maybe", Selena replied. "I'm getting stronger too. The more missions we complete, the better my control over the Nexus Castle becomes. So… perhaps one day."
Akira smiled faintly. "I wonder what else you can do."
"That's a secret", Selena answered. "Maybe I'll tell you someday."
Their conversation gradually faded, and before they realized it, both Akira and Erika had fallen silent, sitting side by side on the tree branch, gazing out at the distant horizon.
It was peaceful.
After a while, Akira turned his head toward her. "Hey, Erika."
She glanced at him. "What is it?"
After a brief pause, he asked, almost casually, "Can you give me a lap pillow?"
For a full minute, silence settled between them.
Erika stared at him, clearly processing his words. Then she asked slowly, "What do you mean?"
Akira smiled, repeating himself without the slightest hesitation. "A lap pillow. Can you give me a lap pillow?"
Realization finally dawned on her.
"Huhhh…?"